Competition for local Musicians in the Waveney District

• Bands

CHANCE FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS TO JOIN A STELLAR LINE UP AT THE SEAGULL THEATRE

On 27th April 2019 the Seagull Theatre in association with Martello Promotions will be hosting “Pakefield Acoustic Music Day”, featuring a wide range of top acoustic based artists from across the UK.

They are offering the chance for local musicians to play a part in the event via a free to enter competition to be held on Sunday 10^th February 2019, when they will be holding auditions to be judged by representatives of the theatre and the promoter. The prize will be the opportunity to open the event on 27^th April.

The competition is open to any solo artists or duos resident in the Waveney District who are at least 16 years old and who perform (preferably original) songs and/or tunes on acoustic instruments, whether it be folk, blues or Americana.

Theatre Manager Karen Read said, “This is a great opportunity to both get your music heard and to share a bill with some of the best musicians working in the UK today in the field of acoustic music.”

Apart from the event on 27^th April, Martello Promotions will also be bringing many other top artists from the UK, USA and Canada to the Seagull Theatre in 2019. Promoter Martin Lovett said “There may well be other opportunities for entrants in the competition to have support slots, if the judges consider that the standard is high enough.”

To enter, please send an email to Martin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you will be sent an entry form, together with full terms and conditions. Completed entries must be received by 6.00 p.m. on 31^st January 2019

Pakefield Acoustic Music Day

Letters from Walter

• Suffolk

A news item from Les Ray, our Cambridgeshire correspondent.


Letters from Walter is a song by Cambridge-based folk/blues band Red Velvet about a young man’s personal experience of WW1. It was written by Les Ray based on the letters sent by Walter Mabbutt of Titchmarsh, Northants to his sister Edith, Les’ grandmother, between June and late September 1918. Walter was a soldier in the Norfolk Regiment who was killed in the Battle of the Selle in Picardy, France on 22nd October 1918, aged just 19. This CD single is being released on the centenary of Walter’s death.



The proceeds from sales of the CD (£5 per CD) will go to support the valuable work of the Riders Branch, Royal British Legion. You can buy the CD for £6.10 including P&P through the website of Red Velvet’s label Clunk and Rattle: http://www.clunkandrattle.com/ Vocals, guitar, banjo - Les Ray Harmonica - George Harper Letter from Lance Corporal W.L. Mandeville read by - Deirdre Murphy Recorded, mixed mastered and produced by Dan Wilde, Gladeside Recordings, Bar Hill, Cambs. Design Bob Whitebeard Luck www.whitebeardarts.co.uk  www.redvelvetfolk.co.uk

Phil Beer at The Canopy Theatre Beccles

Folk Legend Phil Beer is coming to north Suffolk

Phil Beer will be bringing his acclaimed solo show to the Canopy Theatre
in Hungate Church Beccles on 8th February 2019

Read more: Phil Beer at The Canopy Theatre Beccles

Mardles Reviews and Reviewers

Just a quick note to thank three people who have recently agreed to review CDs, books, events etc. for the website: George Monger, Bill Johnston, Colin Hynson.  They join Mary Humphreys, Mike Rudge and Les Ray. We do not have hundreds of items to review, so the burden will never be too onerous.

I have been asked about house styles and our policies regarding reviews. Here are some guidelines:

•  There is no specific house style.

•  There are no deadlines: unlike print publications, we do not have to meet certain dates

•  There is no minimum or maximum review. We are not space-limited. Current reviews are very varied in length.

•  All reviews should be positive or neutral - never negative. Reviewers may of course refuse to review something they think is awful.

•  The editor has the right to edit reviews that are submitted, but only the language not the meaning.

Simon Haines

40th Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival January 2019

• Cambridgeshire

Information from Brian Kell

This internationally acclaimed event begins on Thursday 17 January 2019 with presentations  in all schools within our Town. Public events are as follows:-

Friday 18 January
Concert in the Ivy Leaf Club featuring Jack Rutter, Ursula Holden Gill and Keith Donnelly. Tickets are 10-00.

Saturday 19 January
Procession around town featuring lots of dance teams and of course the Straw Bear himself. In order to help us celebrate our 40th year, the 4 local primary schools, namely Alderman Jacobs, Coates, Park lane and New Road will be joining us in the morning procession from the Manor Leisure Centre to the Library. Each school will choose 5 pupils (selection process will be devised by the teachers) then, following our historic decorated plough, each pupil will carry 2 small hand made straw bears  made by Peter Williams with year plates representing the 40 years 1980 to 2019. (Parents and teachers, cameras at the ready) Following the festival, the schools will be taking their little bears back with them to put on display for the other school children. The local photographer Chris Brudenell has kindly agreed to donate his services to produce a framed photographic record of all the children together. Following production, these will be presented to each school later in the year.  Our thanks go to Chris for this kind offer. We all look forward to seeing this unique procession and we encourage all spectators to give the children a big cheer as they pass. The festival will also feature free presentations in Methodist/ United Reformed Church, Queen Street, Story Telling with Carl Merry and in the Town Hall,  Market Street, Poets United and acoustic songs by Gregg Russell.
The now traditional Barn Dance at Sir Harry Smith Community College will feature Simon Care’s band Banter. (Tickets £12-00).

Sunday 20 January
The Grand Finale is again at Sir Harry Smith Community College, 12 till 2-30. Another free event.

For further information visit www.strawbear.org.uk box office 07857 357 970 (answer phone).

New Border Morris side in Suffolk

• Suffolk

We are excited to share news of our new Border Morris group in Hadleigh, Suffolk,
‘BoudiccaBorder Morris’. We formed in January this year and currently have a team of 18.

We dance traditional dances alongside some we have written ourselves. Our most recent ‘Gallow’s Gateway’ written to honour those who may have died on the local Gallow’s Hill.
We dress in a steampunk style with our colours based on those of a peacock. We hope to bring some new and exciting dances to the Morris world in 2019 and look forward to dancing with other sides. We dance at pubs and various festivals including the Green Dragon Day of Dance in Bury and  we are looking forward to Halesworth Day of Dance and Gone to Earth Festival at Stonham Barns in 2019. We practise on Thursday evenings at Layham Village Hall just outside Hadleigh. We are always on the lookout for new musicians, dancers and supporters.

If you are interested in joining us please contact Emily Myers on 07749 495865, check out our Facebook page or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..